the arrangement | ethma

6

Emma

In December my family traveled to New York Island for the first time, to celebrate the New Year.

King Sean and Queen Lisa had invited us to their home for a New Year Celebration, so we flew out on our private plane.

Of course we brought Marshall, Lorence, Amelia and two of my father's men with us. Amelia helped with Raven and Thomas, and the men guarded our family.

Lia, Raven and I had to share a room en-suite with our parents, and Thomas stayed in the next room over.

Lorence was guarding outside of our door, and Marshall outside of Thomas's. Lorence must've let Ethan in, because I heard the door open, and there he was.

He took my hand, pressing his lips to my knuckles as he greeted me. "Hello, my princess," he said.

I smiled. "Hello."

"I was wondering if you'd like to accompany me to the conservatory," he said. "We can spend some time together before dinner."

I nodded, glancing at Lia who was quietly telling Raven something.

"I would love to," I said. Ethan held put his arm for me, and we walked out of the room before he led me down the hall, down the stairs and across the great room to another hallway, and then to the room at the end.

We had a room like this in our house too. Glass ceiling and walls. They were bulletproof, but crystal clear. Fit for a royal family.

We sat down on the bench, and I looked up at a painting of who must've been one of Ethan's great-grandfathers.

"I'm glad your family was able to be here this week," he said. "I'm hoping we can see each other more often leading up to the wedding."

I smiled as Ethan took my hand in his. "Me too," I said. "I would like to know a bit about you before we share a living space."

He chuckled. "You don't have a certain side of the bed to sleep on, right?"

"I sleep in the middle unless my sisters crawl in with me," I said.

"Either way I'm sleeping in between you and the door," Ethan said.

Remember when I said men in the mafia are more protective than sentimental? There you go.

"I'll try not to hog the middle," I said.

"Subconsciously you'll know I'm laying next to you, so you probably won't hit the middle," he said. "If you do it's because you're in my arms."

I admired this side of Ethan. When it was just us. He was sweet, and caring. He wasn't like the Ethan that was presented to everyone else. Maybe since I was going to be his wife, he wanted me to know who he really was. Not who he had to be in the mafia.

Looking down at our connected hands, I though for a moment. "What made you choose me?" I asked.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Why did you and your family pick me to be your wife?"

"Well, for the past few years my father has been talking about how New York Island needed to strengthen their bond with the Californian Island, so my father talked to yours. After that, your father presented your name to us, and then the arrangement was shook on. But I didn't know anything besides your name, and your face. I was shocked by your beauty, and it's even more magnificent in person," he said, cupping my face in his hand. "Somehow I think you already bring out the good in me."

-

That night was New Year's Eve, and the celebration was actually enjoyable.

Now that I was Ethan's fiancée, I was now technically his responsibility, and he let me have some champagne.

The two of us talked to a lot of guests together, and I was starting to get to know the more public side of him.

I noticed that he was getting more possessive of me with the way he held me against his side as we talked to everyone.

He wanted people to know that I was his, and his only.

I was getting a little bit tipsy from the glass of champagne on a nearly empty stomach, so Ethan made sure that I ate a couple of hors d'oeuvres before he walked me back to my sister's and my room.

As I stood in the doorway, he stood outside with his hands clasped behind his back. "I'll get you before breakfast tomorrow," he said. "Be ready at 8:50."

I nodded before giving a wave and shutting the door, immediately walking to my suitcase and finding comfy clothes to sleep in. Tonight was a good night.

I saw a glimpse into who Ethan was, and that filled my heart with hope. I was beginning to feel like maybe the whole idea of our marriage being an arrangement wasn't so bad after all.

Still, I had no idea what I was getting myself into.

Raven was already asleep, but Lia was still at the party with my parents. So, once I got ready for bed, I climbed under the covers next to Raven, and I fell asleep as soon as my head touched the pillow.

-

I was woken up too early when the alarm went off, but I had to get ready for breakfast. I showered, exfoliated, did some skincare, and then I did some light mascara and coverage foundation to cure any blemishes on my face.

I styled my hair into a half-up half-down, and then I got dressed into a light blue pantsuit my mother had bought me. I paired it with pearl earrings, and the necklace Ethan gave me for my birthday.

My mother came into the room to make sure all of us girls were ready for breakfast, and then my whole family headed to the dining hall.

Of course there was a seat open next to Ethan's. We were started to transition from being strangers to starting to build an actual friendship.

I hoped it would grow even more someday.

I had a gut feeling it just might.